Unicode or UTF-8 chars

Question

I got a problem using Unicode chars in a database table despite i declared the datafield as UNICODE (CREATE TABLE.... strName AS CHAR(32) SET UNICODE_FFS using Interbase Server). The same I declared in MS SQL Server Express Edition (EE). As .NET controls like EditBox are unicode compatible I get a control message box with the unicode char string. It is also inserted into the database table, but retriving the data I only get '???'. This problem persists not only with Micorsoft C#/MS SQL Server EE, but also using Turbo Delphi.NET/Interbase Server. I think the reason could be that free versions of this software are not _UNICODE_ compiled to handle UNICODE strings. I tried to to change the codepage, too. Nothing. My opinion is that I could continue using Unicode declarations for development process, later if migrating to the "FULL VERSION" I should have the UNICODE support. Any suggestions?